Make Sure Your Boss Doesn’t Want You Out

Most managers understand that the quality of their working relationships with employees can make or break on-the-job productivity, but just how pervasive are negative worker-boss pairings? And what are some warning signs that your manager may want you out?

A new CareerBuilder survey by Harris Interactive from Feb. 11 to March 6 among more than 2,000 U.S. employers found that 27 percent of bosses have a current direct report that they would like to see leave their company.

The results were nearly equal by gender, but varied significantly by age, with younger managers — aged 25-34 — more likely to report having an employee they would like to leave than older managers — aged 55 and up — by a margin of eight percentage points.

When dealing with an employee they would like to leave, 42 percent of managers are likely to issue a formal warning. Other things managers say they are more likely to do that may serve as a red flag for workers, including:

• Point out shortcomings in employee’s performance more often: 27 percent. • Reduce responsibilities: 21 percent. • Hire someone else to eventually replace the employee: 12 percent. • Move the employee to another work area: 8 percent. • Keep the employee out of the loop regarding new company developments: 8 percent. • Communicate primarily via email instead of in person or over the phone: 7 percent. • Don’t invite the employee to certain meetings or involve him/her in certain projects: 6 percent. • Don’t invite the employee to social gatherings with co-workers: 3 percent • Nearly a third — 32 percent — of managers said they would do none of the above.